Hyundai and Kia Caution Owners to Park Away from Buildings Following Series of “Trailer Hitch” Fires

Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of some of their large SUVs that they should park them outdoors and away from buildings – after a series of fires involving trailer hitch wiring.  The Korean automakers are recalling more than 281,000 vehicles in the U.S. because of the problem, but they reportedly haven’t figured out how to fix it yet.   The automakers reported 25 fires or melting incidents, in the U.S. and Canada caused by the problem, but no crashes or injuries.  Those recalls cover more than 245,000 Hyundai Palisade and 36,000 Kia Telluride SUVs from the 2020 through 2022 model years.

In documents posted by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – the companies said that debris and moisture can accumulate in a circuit board in the tow hitch wiring, which can cause an electrical short, which can lead to a fire.  Hyundai said dealers will inspect the wiring and remove a fuse as an interim repair.  Kia doesn’t have an interim repair.   The companies say a final repair is being developed.

Dealers from both automakers have stopped selling the affected SUVs – until repairs are made.

(AL.COM/www.al.com)

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print